Apologies all for no Friday blog post last week. This RUDE Girl has had some hood issues. As you all know RUDE is passionate about its scavenger style. For over 5 years now, we have bought our clothes from Tip Shops [sheds on or near landfills that sell recycled stuff].

RUDE girl recently offered to volunteer her time and REfashioning expertise, to a local Council run textiles program for youth. I facilitated an amazing two-hour workshop with six young people on 9 February this year. I let the youth services worker know that I only work with recycled clothes. And because there was no funding allocated to pay me, then a condition of my volunteering, was that the youth use free clothing from the local Tip Shop.

To my disgust Council’s waste management department, was really only interested in bureaucratic due process as its priority. And whilst free clothes would be considered, it could take weeks to organise. By this stage I had turned off the light and gone home. Why? Because I have seen on a regular basis clothes [like in the pile above] discarded into bins. Once in these bins, I have been told the clothes are taken by truck to landfill.

To cut a long story short, on principle I am unable to facilitate this youth group now, unless I have access to these clothes for free. Yes, free clothes can be bought in from home. But that to me is not the point. This is an opportunity to teach so many, not just the youth, about discarded fast fashion. And how it can be REused and REfashioned. About how to save money and the planet.

After watching some of my videos and listening to my talks, I was told by a couple of Council employees in the waste management area, to refrain from using the term Tip Shop. Indicating that it gave the wrong impression of waste management in a contemporary context. Again, I do not even want to labour on this nonsense. When you live a Beat The Man lifestyle, it’s not mainstream, and some people, especially authorities can feel very threatened. It’s all fear and control based in my opinion.

Anyway, to express the absurdity and let of a bit of steam, I made my very first rap video. I felt it was important to stand up for freedom of self-expression. The quote at the top of the page by Jay-Z means we can now add Tip Shops to the list of rap songs about recycling and the hood!

A video was also taken of my upcycling talk and workshop with the young people. It’s magic footage. I am unable to post it here for privacy reasons. But here are a couple of snapshot photos from the video.

On a lighter note, it was fun to dress up, wear some hot pink lipstick [not my colour], kohl my eyes [love the look], find a bit of attitude, write a quick rap, record and be happy with the first take and creatively edit the video.

Rap and Stick it to The Man! Watch my rap video by clicking on the link below.